Art Modell relative conflicted by Hall of Fame and Super Bowl

NEW ORLEANS — A day before the 49ers and Baltimore Ravens square off in the Super Bowl, two of the franchise's most influential figures will be up for another highly sought after honor. Former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. and the late Art Modell, who moved his franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore, are among the finalists for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The voting process, coupled with Sunday's big game, has left one retired San Jose resident with mixed emotions. Marvin Modell is the first cousin of Art but also a devoted fan of the 49ers, who won five Super Bowls with DeBartolo as owner.

"I'm a longtime 49ers fan but I also have a piece of my heart in Baltimore," Marvin Modell said Friday by phone. "I don't know who I want to see win on Sunday. It's a tough one."

Marvin grew up with Art in Brooklyn and said the two were inseparable before going their separate ways as adults. Art and Marvin lost contact for decades, but as family members passed away, Marvin decided to reach out to a cousin he had been so close to as a child.